Jodhpur is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, it was the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar.The city is known as the Sun City for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all year. It is also referred to as the Blue City due to the blue tinge of the whitewashed houses around the Mehrangarh Fort. Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of to the Rathore clan. Rao Jodha succeeded in conquering the surrounding territory and thus founded a state which came to be known as Marwar. The city was located on the strategic road linking Delhi to Gujarat.
This enabled it to profit from a flourishing trade in opium, copper, silk, sandals, date palms and coffee. During the British Raj, the state of Jodhpur had the largest land area of any in Rajputana. Jodhpur prospered under the peace and stability that were a hallmark of this era. In 1947, when India became independent, the state merged into the union of India and Jodhpur became the second city of Rajasthan. The Umaid Bhawan Palace is not only one of India's most imposing palaces but also among its most recent. This lavish art deco monument to royal living had an improbable conception: it was built as a public relief and employment project during a long period of drought. In 1977, the palace was segmented into the royal residence, the Heritage Hotel and a museum. It has total 347 rooms.It is the biggest private residence in the world, out of which 98 air-conditioned rooms are elegantly decorated with antique furniture as well as all the other amenities for a five star hotel.
The Mehrangarh Fort lies in the heart of the old city of Jodhpur and is located atop a 125 m high hill. The magnificent Mehrangarh Fort (Jodhpur ka kila) is the most majestic and one of the largest forts in India. It was originally started (c.1459) by Rao Jodha, founder of Jodhpur. However, most of the extant fort dates from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638-78). The walls of the fort are up to 36 m high and 21 m wide. The Jaswant Thada is architectural landmark found in Jodhpur. It is a white marble memorial built in 1899 in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. The monument, in its entirety, is built out of intricately carved sheets of marble. These stones are extremely thin and polished so that they emit a warm glow when the sun's rays dance across their surface. Within this cenotaph, there are also two more tombs. The Osiyan temple is one of the most famous temples in Jainism.
An ancient temple, well worth the visit, lies in the village of Osiyan, about 60 km outside Jodhpur. It is believed that all the Oswal (a Major Jain community) originated from Osiyan. There are several excursions of Jodhpur like
Mandore, Kaylana Lake and Garden, Balsamand lake, Sardar Samand lake and palace, Dhawa (Dholi) forest area, Khichan, Marwar festival, Gangaur, Teej, Nag Panchmi fair, Mahaveer Jayanti, Shietla Mata, Baba Ram Dev, Jodhpur RIFF (Rajasthan International Folk Festival).
There are various havelis also the main attractions of Jaisalmer like Patwon-ki-Haveli: Guman Chand Patwa (and later by his five sons), a wealthy merchant belonging to powerful Oswal Jain community and banker who had over three hundred trading centres from Afghanistan to China. This ornate five-storey complex took fifty years to complete. This is the largest, the most magnificent, and the most elaborate of Jaisalmer havelis. Salam Singh-ki-Haveli: It was built by the scheming Prime Minister Salam Singh in 1815. It has a beautifully arched roof capped with blue cupolas and carved brackets in the form of peacocks. Nathmalji-ki-Haveli: Built by a Prime Minister of princely state of Jaisalmer. Its facade is a riot of ornamentation: flowers, birds, elephants, soldiers, a bicycle and even a steam engine. Haveli Shreenath: Prime Minister House Of Jaisalmer This beautiful 450-year-old haveli was once inhabited by the prime minister under the maharaja. The gorgeous archways, alluring alcoves, sizeable rooms opening onto small balconies and rich ambiance must have been grand back in the old days.
Shree Nath Fort Jaisalmer: Heritage Haveli Hotel in Jaisalmer. Shree Nath Palace is a wonderful example of an old Rajasthani haveli, set in the golden fort of Jaisalmer. Mehra haveli: Built by Gopikishan Mehra, Mayor of Jaisalmer city. He named Haveli after his grandmother Parwati Davi Parwati Sadan. Jaisalmer city has been enriched by its Jain community which has adorned the city with beautiful Jain temples most notably the temples dedicated to 16th Tirthankar Lord Shantinath and 23rd Tirthankar Lord Parshvanath. Jaisalmer boasts some of the oldest libraries of India which contain rarest of the manuscripts & artefacts of Jain tradition. There are many Jain pilgrimage centres around Jaisalmer like Lodarva, Amarsagar, Brahmsar and Pokharan. Gadsisar Lake - Excavated in 1367 by Rawal Gadsi Singh, it is a scenic rainwater lake surrounded by small temples and shrines.
